In Bangladesh, the economic and social contribution of women is substantial but largely unacknowledged. They have made their mark in multiple fields, from the kitchen to the Gono Bhavan, from farms to the peak of the Himalayas, from sports arena to high-tech jobs. Still many consider that women are weak and incapable to work and earn an income on their own. They are looked down as economic burden. This negative mindset of our community about women and their contribution to society needs to be changed.
Women in Bangladesh are engaged in various activities. In rural areas they play a significant and crucial role in cultivation and post-harvest operations, managing livestock, horticulture, fisheries, etc. According to Bangladesh Labour Force Survey 2010, participation of women in labour force is 36 per cent, compared to 82.5 per cent for men and the rate is higher than the South Asian average of 35 per cent. The report also confirms that about 65 per cent of women works in agriculture, around 22 per cent are in the service sectors, and 13.32 per cent are in industry. More than 60 per cent of fish farmers are women. This has improved the economic stability of their households. But unfortunately, in our society, economic value of women's work and their overall contribution to this sector is mostly unrecognised and remains unpaid. Usually, it is considered as voluntary work or looked upon as family obligation. According to a study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), women who do the household chores contribute 76.8 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP), but the cost of their labour is not calculated in national economy.
Women with little or no education work as domestic help or as day-labourers in construction of road, bridge, building etc. A large number of females are work in factories, especially in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry. More than 90 per cent of our garment workers are women. They are also working in the husking mills, weaving factories and in different government and non-government offices and business organizations. According to International Labour Organization (ILO), Bangladesh has witnessed a substantial rise in female employment in labour-intensive export-oriented industries, including the readymade garment factories. Those with more education, work as teachers in different educational institutions. Others serve in government offices and health care sector etc. The number of women physicians, engineers, lawyers is also on the rise and lately women are recruited in military service and participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations. They are doing well in administration and judiciary as well. The number of women government employees was less than one per cent during the 80's which now stands at 10 to15 per cent. A research report of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) cited that the number of women working in productive activities excluding household works was 11.3 million in 2006 which stood at 16.2 million in 2010.
According to official statistics, female students make up around 60 per cent of the enrolled medical students. During last three years, more women graduated from the medical colleges than men, the report showed. In the 2013-14 session, 1,602 female students were enrolled by 23 government medical colleges compared to 1,135 male students. Bangladesh produced 1,996 female doctors against 1,674 male doctors in 2011, 1,724 female doctors against 1, 384 male doctors 2012 while 3,164 female doctors and 2,383 male doctors were produced in the country in 2014. Many women are occupying high-ranking positions in banking. The industry currently employs 7,491 female bankers, around 13 per cent of its total human resources. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh is ahead of India, where women account for 27 per cent of the total labour force, and Pakistan, where female labour participation rate is 25 per cent. This growing women empowerment is also evident from the fact that Bangladesh has the third highest number of female lawmakers among the SAARC countries behind Nepal and Afghanistan.
It apparently looks nice, although there are paradoxes difficult to accept. On one hand, Bangladesh has produced these impressive results that show significant improvement in women empowerment, gender parity in primary and secondary school enrolment, and women's rights. On the other hand, these statistics do not reflect the pitiable condition of the women in Bangladesh, e.g., nearly two out of every three women in the country are victims of some form of violence or the other. Acts of violence committed regularly against women include dowry killings, rape, sexual harassment and stalking, acid attacks, physical and mental abuse and sex trafficking. According to UNICEF, 65 per cent of girls in Bangladesh are married before they reach the age of 18 and more than a quarter of the girls are married before they are fifteen. This has placed us fourth in child marriages in the world behind Niger, Chad and Mali. This is because women are undervalued by family, society and state.
Bangladesh is often cited as a global model for sustainable economic development. But no socio-economic, political and cultural development is possible without the empowerment of women simply because half of our total population is women. Inducting more women into the workforce is imperative to sustainable development. Surveys have shown that equipped with the proper skills and resources, women have a higher ability for multitasking, from household chores to taking care of children, earning money from outdoor work, helping families out of poverty. When women earn an income, they reinvest 90 per cent of it in looking after their families and spending on food, housing and education. All these are vital components for reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. Additionally, educated girls have fewer, healthier and more educated children who help build healthier communities, accelerate economic activities, arrest major health issues and break cycles of poverty. According to a World Bank report, if the female labour participation rate rises by 2.5 million a year, the participation rate will equal the current rate of male participation in Bangladesh in a decade. This will add 1.8 percentage points to potential GDP growth each year, taking it to 7.5 percent ? the minimum threshold for a comfortable middle income zone by 2021.
Unfortunately, there are some elements in our society who portray women negatively and try to confine them within the four walls. But women of Bangladesh have established the truth beyond doubt that participation of women and their integration into the national workforce is the sine qua non for comprehensive and sustainable economic development. It is imperative that we change our primitive mindset in order to create a society where women can choose their options freely, live without fear and speak without restrictions. We need to understand that no nation can tackle the development challenges alone unless its women are given equal access to opportunities and adequate safety and security.
- Saturday, 20 April 2024 |
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